Michael Smith admitted it was a relief to open his Cazoo Premier League account on Thursday, after laying down a marker to claim the spoils on Night Three in Glasgow.
The World Champion celebrated his first nightly win of the 2023 Premier League in front of a capacity crowd at the OVO Hydro, producing a stellar display to overcome Dimitri Van den Bergh in Thursday’s showpiece.
Smith, who had to wait until the final week of league action to claim a nightly win in last year’s event, averaged 109.42 to topple Van den Bergh and secure a valuable five league points.
“Winning is the best feeling in the world,” said Smith, who tops the table alongside Nathan Aspinall following Night Three.
“I haven’t had to wait until Night 16 in Newcastle like last year. I think by Night Ten I was the only player without a win so I was chasing.
“Now I’ve got that win on the board and I’m not chasing wins. I can relax now and hopefully you can see my best darts come out over the next 13 weeks.”
Hear from your Night Three Champion in Glasgow - Michael Smith...
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) February 16, 2023
How many nights will the World Champion win this year?#PLDarts pic.twitter.com/qqjGHd3g1q
Smith kicked off his campaign on Scottish soil with a 6-3 success against Night Two winner Gerwyn Price, before recovering from 4-2 down to dump out Jonny Clayton for a second straight week.
The St Helens star averaged 101 to edge out Clayton in a last-leg shoot-out, converting 122, 80 and 76 combination finishes in the latter stages to complete the comeback.
Smith then stole the show to defeat an impressive Van den Bergh in Thursday’s final, firing in six perfect darts midway through the contest, before landing a 140 checkout en route to a 6-4 victory.
“Against Gezzy I wasn’t at the races. I was hitting treble five too often,” conceded Smith, who succumbed to Michael van Gerwen and Aspinall in Belfast and Cardiff respectively.
“I was 4-2 down against Jonny, but I could have been level at 3-3 or 4-2 up. Then I just found my form from somewhere, hitting the 122, 80 and 76 finishes.
“In that final, even I knew it was something special. I had a quick glance at the averages when I was 4-2 up and I was like: ‘Wow, I’m doing something right here!’
“I thought I had blown it when I was on for the nine-darter and I lost the leg, but I stepped up well in those last two legs.”
Smith’s focus now switches to Night Four in Dublin, where he will face two-time World Champion Peter Wright in the quarter-finals at the 3Arena.
The world number one produced a moment of magic on the Emerald Isle in the 2020 Premier League, achieving perfection against Daryl Gurney – his first of three televised nine-darters.
Wright, meanwhile, is yet to claim a point in this year’s roadshow following three consecutive quarter-final defeats, and Smith is hoping to extend that run on Irish soil.
“Dublin is one of my favourite venues in the Premier League, and hopefully next week is a good one for me again,” added Smith, who is eyeing a Play-Off spot for the first time since 2018.
“The Play-Offs may be a target after Night 13 and we’ll see from there, but right now I just want to win and keep playing well.
“I’d love to get back to The O2 without a doubt, but for now, it’s about each night, winning the first round matches, trying to make the finals or even winning them.
“I’m just thinking about each week right now, but I feel on top of the world at the minute.”
Night Four - Thursday February 23
3Arena, Dublin
Quarter-Finals
Michael Smith v Peter Wright
Gerwyn Price v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Jonny Clayton v Nathan Aspinall
Chris Dobey v Michael van Gerwen
All matches best of 11 legs